ABSTRACT

Lens techniques rely on more than optical effects to communicate an idea; in some cases, specific features of a location can add an essential visual element to help create compelling, narratively expressive images. The physical qualities of a space as well as its abstract qualities can complement or contradict the purpose of a lens technique, resulting in effective, compelling images, or ambiguous and even confounding shots. Director Paul Thomas Anderson’s romantic drama Punch-Drunk Love features a good example where lens choice is carefully coordinated with location attributes. Barry Egan is a lonely, painfully shy, and socially inept man who falls in love with Lena, a woman who finds his awkwardness strangely appealing. The effect is further enhanced by the inclusion of several doorways in the composition that function as relative size depth cues, giving the audience a hint of the actual length of the hallway and the distance Barry must really be covering.